The Case of the Missing Mother
Written by James Howe Illustrated by William Cleaver It was almost Mother's Day, and things were jumping at the Muppet Theater. Everyone was getting ready for the big show-the Muppets Salute to Motherhood! Backstage Miss Piggy was trying on her costume. "When I was just a piglet", she recalled, "my mother used to tell me, Piggy, someday you will be a star.' Ah, she was so wise, so adorable, so dear. So very much like moi, in fact." "My mom was den mother of my cub scout troop", said Fozzie Bear. "She taught me everything I know. In fact, I learned my best jokes at my mother's knee. And other joints. Wocka-Wocka." Everyone was so busy getting ready for the show that at first no one noticed what Animal was doing. Then they heard a loud crunching noise. Animal was tearing his drums apart with his teeth. Floyd Pepper the bass player ran over to Animal and pulled him away from his drums. "Hey, man, what's the big idea?" Floyd asked. "What's the matter with Animal today?" Kermit wanted to know. "Beats me, boss. He's been acting weird ever since we started to work on this show. It's like he just doesn't want to play the drums anymore", said Floyd. "No more drums!" bellowed Animal. "But Animal, you're the best drummer we've got!" said Kermit. "He's the only drummer we've got", said Floyd. Kermit looked worried. "If Animal doesn't play the drums, it'll just about kill the big final number", he said. "Kill!" screamed Animal. "Yeah", agreed Fozzie. "What's a lullaby without a drum solo?" "I'll keep my eye on him", said Floyd. "Maybe I can figure out what's bugging him". The next day Animal disappeared. "I went to get him for rehearsal", Floyd told the others, "and he wasn't in his room. His chains were broken and the door was ripped off his hinges. I mean, Animal's outasight, but this time he's really outasight". Everyone searched the theater. There wasn't a sign of Animal anywhere. Then Janice found something suspicious. "Crumbs!" she cried out. "Sticks and stones may break our bones but names will never heard us", Gonzo replied. "Not you!" Janice said. "Crumbs-here on the floor." "Those aren't crumbs", said Floyd. "They're wood shavings." Kermit gasped. "That's... I mean... that was my desk!" Scooter came rushing in from the alley. "Look what happened to the garbage cans!" he cried. Miss Piggy shook her blonde curls. "Perhaps if we follow this trail of destruction, it will lead us to..." "Animal!" everybody shouted together. So everyone set out in search of Animal. On and on they went, from one pile of rubble to the next, across the park and the railroad tracks, past the firehouse and the bowlarama, until they came to a long, winding road. "'Memory Lane", Scooter announced, reading the street sign. At the end of Memory Lane was a big old house. "Look!" Fozzie cried. "A 'For Sale' sign." "Yeah", said Floyd Pepper, "and look who's leanin' up against that 'For Sale' sign, man. My main drummer-Animal. "Mother!" Animal cried out suddenly. He stood up and lumbered off toward the house. A piece of paper fluttered from his hand. "Mother!" he moaned again as he disappeared around the corner. Floyd picked up the piece of paper that had fallen from Animal's hand. '"Animal", he read aloud as the others gathered around. "Our house too big for me now. I move to smaller place. Don't lose this letter! If you do, you won't find me! I will be living at..." The last words were lost forever because the rest of the page had been torn off. "So that's what's going down", said Floyd. "He's lost his mother's address." "Kermit, sir, we've got to help Animal find his mother", Fozzie said. "Yes", agreed Miss Piggy. "After all, a boy without his mother is like a day without lipstick". "Unbearable", said Fozzie. They ran up to the house and surrounded Animal. He was ripping up the flower garden with his hands. "Hey, Animal", Gonzo said. "How's it going?" "Uh, we understand you're feeling a little depressed", added Fozzie. Animal jumped into the hole where the flowers had been. "Depressed!" he yelled. "Animal!" Floyd cried. "We're here to help you out. Dig? "Dig!" Animal shouted, and he began to dig again. "Aren't you lucky to have friends like us?" Miss Piggy said, trying hard to ignore the dirt landing on her new purple-on-purple pumps. "We're going to help you look for your mother." "Mother!" cried Animal, jumping out of the hole. That afternoon they rode all over town trying to find Animal's mother. They saw many mothers, but none of them looked like they belonged to Animal. Just when they were about to give up hope, Animal's eyes lit up. "Drums!" he cried. "Not now, man", Floyd told Animal. "You can play the drums later." "Drums!" Animal bellowed. "Shh", Miss Piggy said. "Listen". From the distance came the sound of drumming. "Say", said Fozzie, "Maybe we should go where the drums are. At least he seems interested in playing again". "If he played the drums he might feel better", said Kermit, "and then the show would be saved. Turn here." The sound of drums became louder and louder. Animal was jumping all over the van. "Be cool", Floyd said. But Animal couldn't calm down. "Drums!" he kept shouting. "Drums!" Now the beat was louder than ever. They stopped in front of a tiny pink cottage. Inside, at the window, someone was playing the drums. At first glance the drummer looked an awful lot like Animal. If Animal were a girl. And older. And had gray hair. In fact, it wouldn't have been too hard to imagine that the drummer inside the pink cottage was none other than Animal's... "Mother!" Animal cried. The drumming stopped. The drummer looked out the window. "Animal!" she roared. Animal ran toward the window, tearing the frame apart with his bare hands. His mother ripped down the window from her side until she and Animal were in each other's arms. The other Muppets sniffed and wiped their eyes. Miss Piggy blew her nose loudly. "There's nothing that will bring tears to the eye like the sight of a mother and son together again", she said. "Except maybe the bill they're going to get for that window", said Gonzo. The next day was Mother's Day. The Muppet Salute to Motherhood was a huge success. And the drummers in the final number brought down the house. One was a familiar face... "Animal!" Animal bellowed. And the other was new.... "LaVerne!" Animal's mother roared. The audience loved them. They applauded wildly. And Animal played the drums better than he'd ever played before. Category:The Adventures of Punky Brewster